Former captain Anthony Stewart has left Aberdeen on loan for the rest of the season late on deadline day.
The 30-year-old centre-back was signed to be former boss Jim Goodwin’s captain in summer 2022.
However, Stewart – who had previously spent almost all of his professional career at Wycombe Wanderers – has had a difficult year-or-so with the Dons.
He is still contracted to Pittodrie until the end of the season, but will spend the remaining months of his deal back on loan MK Dons – where he also spent the second half of last season.
Anthony Stewart has re-joined English League One side Milton Keynes Dons on loan until the end of the 2023/2024 campaign.
Everyone at Aberdeen FC wishes Anthony all the best during his second spell at Stadium MK. pic.twitter.com/0S1fwod6Wy
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) September 1, 2023
Playing in what was a porous backline under Goodwin, Englishman Stewart was sent off twice in a matter of weeks between December 2022 and January this year, something which left his relationship with Aberdeen fans at breaking point.
The first red card came in a calamitous performance during a Premiership loss at St Mirren.
Then, the second arrived late in normal time of an eventual extra-time League Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers – something which led to the skipper shouldering much of the criticism for the Hampden disappointment.
When Barry Robson took over from the sacked Goodwin late in the January window, following the Scottish Cup humiliation at non-league Darvel and 6-0 hammering at Hibs – more disastrous games for the Reds which Stewart played in – the defender was immediately farmed out on loan to MK Dons by the new manager.
In the 24 league games he led the team in during the 2022/23 season, Aberdeen kept just six clean sheets.
Having returned to the north-east at the end of last term, Stewart has yet to make a competitive appearance under boss Robson, and was not in the squad for the Europa League play-off second leg loss to Swedish champions BK Hacken on Thursday.
Earlier tonight, Aberdeen confirmed the signing of Danish centre-half Stefan Gartenmann on a season-long loan from FC Midtjylland.
They had already landed out-and-out centre-backs Slobodan Rubezic, Richard Jensen and Rhys Williams (loan from Liverpool) during their summer transfer window revamp, with Angus MacDonald the sole remaining senior centre-half from last season.
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